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With the holiday season upon us, now’s the perfect time to begin shopping for a cheap TV. Right after Thanksgiving and into Christmas, some mighty big football games will be on the tube — none bigger than the Super Bowl, which will be played in Atlanta on February 3, 2019.

And let’s be honest: No Super Bowl party will be complete without a nice BIG smart TV to watch the game on. You may be looking forward to Black Friday to catch the deals, but the truth is that you can find savings on an affordable TV typically from November to about February.

Clark’s take on how to buy a TV in 2018

Money expert Clark Howard knows a thing or two about finding a good deal on a TV. You may be a fan of LG, Vizio, Toshiba or Samsung, which repeatedly rate as some of the best TV brands out there. But Clark’s approach to buying a TV this year is a little different: “I don’t care about brand,” he says.

Samsung, LG, Vizio, Toshiba, etc.: What TV brand is the best?

Clark says that for the most part, parity has come to TV manufacturing and that means consumers are taking very little risk when opting for cheap TVs.

“The failure rate regardless of brand is really so low on TVs that I’m really unconvinced that it’s worth spending extra because it says ‘Samsung,'” the money expert notes.

Another potential way TV shoppers could wasting big money this holiday season is by looking for premium picture quality. One of the top TV trends today is 4K.

Yet Clark says prospective buyers need to be really careful when it comes to looking for the latest and greatest features.

Is a 4K TV worth it?

“If you’re buying a TV that’s 37 inches or smaller, it doesn’t even need to be 4K because the screen size being what it is, your eyes can’t even register the difference. If you buy larger than that, then you should look into getting a 4K with HDR.”

HDR stands for high-dynamic range and recent technological advances in contrast and color will make images viewed on-screen pop like never before. If you’ve bought a mid-to high-end priced TV in 2017 or later, there’s a good chance it’s HDR.

But if you’re ready to buy today, you may be wondering about the best TV prices out there right now…

Best TV deals: What’s a good price for a smart TV?

With Black Friday deals already being advertised, savings are aplenty right now. Here are some of the best deals Clark says he has seen of late:

Clark’s takeaway on buying a TV

One of the main things Clark wants you to remember is that it’s possible to score a cheap TV with all the bells and whistles. A few years ago, he went from having a 42-inch TV in his bedroom to a 65-inch, which he enjoys much more.

But a huge TV in a small room isn’t the way to go. He says you can come away with the right TV for you if you focus less on features and more on screen size. The reason is because capabilities are improving across all brands.

“TVs and computers are cheaper than phones now, think about that,” he says.

Now that you’ve gotten some insight into how to select a cheap TV, check out ClarkDeals.com for more great TV deals.

Craig Johnson is a conscious money-saver who still reads paperback books and listens to vinyl. He likes to write about how technology is making things easier and more affordable — but also sometimes more dangerous — for the modern consumer. You can reach Craig at [email protected]